Letters to the editor on Ryan, U.S. politics, lion meat, global warming

One of the most important decisions a presidential nominee makes is his pick for running mate. With his brilliant selection of Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Mitt Romney has given us a reason aside from President Obama to get excited about him.

One of the most important decisions a presidential nominee makes is his pick for running mate. With his brilliant selection of Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Mitt Romney has given us a reason aside from President Obama to get excited about him.

As powerfully shown in the past four years, it takes more than rhetoric to solve our country’s problems. Having overdosed on debt for decades, we have dramatically compounded our problems in recent years. As millions of Americans are starting to understand, today the challenges are enormous. Having the will to do what needs to be done is even more problematic than the determination of what needs to be done.

No current political leader has shown a better understanding of what needs to be done than Ryan. He is an exceptional choice to be vice president. No presidential candidate in my almost 63 years of life has made a better running mate selection.

President Johnson facilitated a massive increase in government. An entitlement mentality crippled millions of people and has done so now for multiple generations. Obama has accelerated the debt buildup, and now we have an unsustainable situation and government promises that cannot be kept.

While the problems are more than daunting, Romney’s selection will help assure his victory and provides some basis for hope.

He said that “President Obama, and too many like him in Washington, have refused to make difficult decisions because they are more worried about their next election than they are about the next generation.” Does he mean unlike the entirety of the Republican members of Congress following the stated top priority of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., from the very first day of Obama’s term: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”

Ryan also said: “I believe my record of getting things done in Congress will be a very helpful complement to Governor Romney’s executive and private sector success outside Washington. I have worked closely with Republicans as well as Democrats to advance an agenda of economic growth, fiscal discipline, and job creation.” Has there been economic growth, fiscal discipline and job creation (for which Ryan wants to take credit) or has there been economic failure (for which Ryan apparently has no responsibility)? Which is it?

Ryan said, “We won’t blame others … we will take responsibility.” See the first quote above to determine the credibility of this statement.

WALTER COLVIN

Clearwater

Return to politics

As we followed the London Olympics, we were drawn into the flow of global joy and camaraderie. In the United States, forgive us now as we return to the cruel and selfish combativeness of presidential politics.

ROBERT KREIDER

North Newton

No lion meat

You don’t understand how alive you are until you realize you could be on the dinner menu.

Some years ago, a group of us went on a photographic safari in southern Africa with the Sedgwick County Zoo. We saw many species of animals, including close encounters with lions.

When our small group was hiking through the Okavango Delta in Botswana with unarmed native guides, we saw fresh evidence of lions in the vicinity. It was the most exhilarating moment of my life. Consuming lion meat was the furthest thing on my mind (“Lion is no longer a main course at dinner,” Aug. 11 Eagle).

The chef at the local restaurant said that some of the information circulated in opposition to consuming farm-raised lion meat was “just ignorance.” The ignorance is in not realizing that, with pressures from human population growth, habitat loss and development, the wild African lion will inevitably become endangered.

There is an old African proverb that says “until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story.” Having lion meat on the menu is not the story that needs to be told.

WILLIAM C. SKAER

Wichita

Keep CAFE rule

We have just experienced the hottest July on record and rainfall has been dismal. The past seven months have been hotter than anyone living in Kansas has experienced. Crops are shriveling in the fields.

This pattern of temperature incline has been progressing over the past 30 years – this is not a fluke. This is consistent with predictions made by climate scientists. One can always find an “expert” to contest the facts. There are individuals who will tell you that the earth is flat.

In spite of this dire state of affairs, the U.S. House, in particular Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., wants to reverse the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) rule to improve car fuel economy. Instead of taking this small step to decrease the rate of temperature incline, the House wants to continue the same policies that have led to our current predicament.

We (individually and corporately) need to make changes as soon as possible. Otherwise, this new hot normal will be even worse in five or 10 years.